THE ARTICLE
Whether you have already dieted and want to keep the weight off, or whether you just want to be prepared for what to do after you do lose the weight, the advice is very similar: forget diets. Think healthy life changes.
The best approach to keeping the weight off is to avoid fad or starvation diets completely, and begin to slowly make changes in your eating and exercise habits that you will be able to live with for the rest of your life. Does that sound too long to even imagine? Try thinking about maintaining your weight for one year. If you can keep the weight off for a year, you’ll have gone through all the holidays and celebrations and still maintained your weight. You’ll have proven that you have all the strategies and habits you need
The downside to this approach to keeping the weight off is that it takes longer to take the weight off the first time. But think about it: you’ll suffer less during the process, and if you do it properly, you’ll never have to diet again. This yo-yo cycle of starving yourself, gaining the weight back, and having to do it again can come to an end!
You can start making healthy life changes anytime, whether you have weight to lose or not. The following general strategies support both weight loss and keeping the weight off:
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Never skip meals. Skipping meals makes you really hungry, and your body will slow down your metabolism to compensate. You might also overeat at the next meal because you are so hungry.
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Only weigh yourself once a week. Our weight naturally fluctuates on a daily basis and weighing yourself every day is like getting on an emotional roller coaster. You want steady, slow, weekly progress.
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Eat whole, fresh, local foods to get the most satisfaction and nutrition out of everything you eat. Processed foods contain few naturally occurring nutrients and usually include lots of “empty calories”, leaving your body craving more food in order to get the nutrition you need.
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Get regular aerobic exercise. You don’t have to go to a gym or run a marathon. Just get moving enough to raise your heart rate and breathing for about 30 minutes each day, though walking, housework, sports, playing with the kids or the pets, or working out. You’ll reap all kinds of health benefits in addition to controlling your weight. If you want to maintain your weight, exercise at least 3 times a week. To lose weight, exercise 5 times a week.
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Keep a journal of your eating and activity levels, as well as your mood. You’ll gain insights into when you eat distractedly or for reasons other than hunger. You’ll be motivated by seeing positive changes, and you’ll see where you can make changes to improve your results.
Another excellent strategy for keeping the weight off is visualisation. Visualise beyond how you look, and visualise yourself living a healthy lifestyle that supports how you look. Imagine yourself eating every meal, and full of colourful, healthy foods, but smaller plates of it. Imagine yourself enjoying one cooking now and then, instead of sitting down with a whole bag of chips. Imagine yourself saying no to that second glass of wine or piece of cake, and still enjoying the party. Imagine yourself as active, enjoying walking or working out on a regular basis. Imagine enjoying putting on your clothes that fit better. Do this visualization every day and before you go to sleep. It will make a difference.
Make no mistake, you will be making changes. You won’t be able to eat every single thing you would like to eat. Slim, healthy people usually don’t eat every appetizing thing they see. You can have treats and you can enjoy just about any food that exists, but it you have to make it fit within your generally healthy lifestyle. If you go to a party or on vacation, don’t deprive yourself. But the following week, you’ll have to exercise more and eat a little less to maintain your weight.
You’ll need some self-discipline. Recruit those around you to help keep you from too much temptation. Family and friends can be a great support network, or they can sabotage your efforts. Choose who you will spend time with carefully, based on who loves and supports you and your dreams. Putting together all these strategies, adapted to your life and individual needs, will lead to the permanent changes you need to keep the weight off for the rest of your life.
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